[title]
Unassuming and easy to miss, Plu sits on a quiet street in St John’s Wood. Owned by chef Elliot Moss (who trained at Le Gavroche), this intimate 22-seat spot has the potential to become an institution in time, if it can iron out some notable kinks.
Its seasonal menu is of the tasting variety – and can set you back a cool £45 per person for a three-course Sunday lunch outing right up to £125 for a more lavish dinner. Suffice to say, Plu is not for run-of-the-mill dining, but a worthy choice when you want to impress.
While the exterior might be understated, the interior is far from it: the walls are clad in bright turquoise velvet, chairs are upholstered in blue velour. It’s a setting akin to your posh great aunt’s formal dining area. But unlike a stern senior relative, when we pulled through on a rainy Sunday afternoon, the beaming manageress made us feel warm and welcomed, in what could otherwise have been a stuffy environment.
One highlight from the ever-changing multi-course menu (including a few surprise extra mini courses) was Plu’s veggie spin on a classic beef tartare – juicy beef tomato chunks mixed with herbs and 25-year-old Spanish wine. Another classic reimagined was the house Snickers bar: peanut and butterscotch bits enrobed in a thick dark chocolate bar with mousse-textured nougat balls on the side. The cheese plate, although not particularly cheesy, was a pleasing array of pine-nut baklava, with a flourish of vodka pear purée and a dollop of whipped cheese truffle.
I wasn’t mad about the tiny bright pink pickled egg perched atop a coprolite base (fossilised dinosaur dung FYI) which tasted much like eating a mouthful of mayo. A veggie main course of braised white mooli in a spring roll was also underwhelming: you’ll find better versions at your high-street Thai.
Still, if you’re local, do consider a visit, for a special occasion. And that Snickers bar.